Sunday, November 6, 2011

I know that this constitutes my third post in less than 12 hours, so just try to keep up.

First of all, bravo to those of you who caught on to my clues in my last post about my new calling! Yes, I have been called to serve in the Young Women's program in our ward. I am the first counselor in an all-new presidency.

Woah!

I have served in YW twice before. Once in college briefly. (Our YW program was so small that we met in the kitchen of our branch building.) The second time was when I was newly married, working full-time, and pregnant with Guy. So, I have a small hunch about how much work this calling will entail, but I also have had a taste of the blessings that come with it and the eternal friendships that I will form with the young women.

It seems like every time I get called into the YW program, they go adding stuff to the YW theme that we recite. Tricky! But each addition was a wonderful improvement...First it was "strengthen home and family". And most recently they added "Virtue"as one of the values.

Another thing that I witnessed today, that I had never seen before was the wearing of the Beehive Hat! Apparently, whenever there is a new girl entering the YW program for the first time in our ward, the girls have her wear this hat that looks like a beehive with bees buzzing around it and honey oozing out.

Ah, good old-fashioned hazing. Gotta love it. As I drifted off to sleep last night, I was thinking about how the YW program reminds me of a sorority. (The Beehive Hat did nothing to dispel my theory!) But unlike the sororities of the world that you'll find by the dozens on any college campus, the sorority of sisterhood that you will find in the Young Women programs, in congregations of Latter-day Saints that dot the globe, encourages its members to remain chaste, virtuous, modest, to serve others, to obtain knowledge, and to seek the blessings of the temple.

I'm with Amy- that hat looked a little disgusting in one of the pictures. Funny!But I love the idea of the hazing hat. I may need to introduce that in my ward. I just switched wards actually. I was in YW in my other ward, and on my first Sunday in this ward I got called into the same calling! HA!Aft a year of serving, I still can't say the theme without stumbling over "strengthen home and family." The cadence just isn't right!

Exciting! I'm also the first counselor in my ward's Young Women. It is such a fun calling. It's a lot of work, but your heart is so filled with love. And there is nothing quite like the vibrance of youth and their unabashed testimonies.

I'm also excited to see the great Ideas you'll have for this calling...

Congratulations on being called into the YW program. I have enjoy serving in that program off and on through the years. I imagine you are going to be wonderful in this new calling. I earned my personal progress award while serving in the program. Blessings to you and enjoy all the precious moments you will have with the YW.

Awesome, Jocelyn! I wish you many adventures as you go forward with the calling! How cool! I haven't served in YW yet so I have no tips to give you but I am a little jealous?/excited for you to make friendships with all those beautiful young ladies ;)

Those are some seriously lucky Young Women! You will be great (I'm sure you already know that!). I just got released from serving in YW...I loved it. I often say I think I was born to serve in YW. I had been president before, too, and it was my dream calling. I now serve as 2nd counselor in the Primary presidency and I'm really enjoying it, too (I'm definitely enjoying it more than when I was Primary president!!). I did want to say, though, that there are some really awesome boards on pinterest dedicated to YW stuff!! If I come accross any good ones (I know I follow some already) I'll send them your way. Congrats!

I, too am in YW! I am the President in our small branch in Eldon, MO. What a wonderful experience to work with the Youth! I got called to be YW 2nd Counselor the very same Sunday that I was welcomed as the newest member of the Branch! Haha! Wow. I truly do love it! I will be excited to read your ideas!

I was a first counselor in the YW for awhile. I loved it and miss it so much. The YW program really is one oc the busiest in the church... at least we were.

Anyway, on you note about it being a sorority, it made me giggle. With my girls I decided to make a "Rose society" They each got a ring I made our of felt and had to be "initiated" into the society. Silly stuff, like sing "I'm a little teapot" in the Foyer. (If a girl forgot to wear their ring to a rose ceremony I would make them "Haze" all over again) We also had an "oath" where we talked about the symbol of the rose (love, faith, and purity) The girls LOVED it. It made being a MM special. It is tough being in the middle!